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OUR VIEW: Trying to spark comment on immigration

Published: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 15, 2013 at 5:38 p.m.

The Gadsden City Council’s decision this week, unanimous among those in attendance, to endorse the Alabama Compact on immigration was symbolic and carried no force of law. We’re sure some folks are wondering why local politicians are messing with this issue instead of tending to potholes in the streets. Others probably are wondering what possessed the council to stick its foot into this particular piranha pool.

We thought the message was quite clear: It’s time to start talking about serious, reasonable and humane immigration reform in the U.S.

The Alabama Compact offers one scenario for that. It’s a spinoff of a movement that started in Utah and spread to other states where illegal immigration has become an issue. Organizers are pushing it in Alabama in response to the 2011 immigration law passed by the state Legislature that was billed as the toughest measure of its kind in the U.S.

The movement’s basic concepts are that immigration is a federal issue; local law enforcement should focus on crime instead of federal civil violations (illegal immigration is one); immigration policies shouldn’t separate families; immigration policies should reflect the economic contributions immigrants make and stress maximizing free-market opportunities; and a recognition that immigrants are part of a free society and states ought to, in a faith-based manner, welcome people of good will.

It’s worthy discussion fodder, although we’d like to see a final immigration reform plan contain a strong border enforcement component.

Gadsden is the first city in Alabama to endorse the compact. Council members said they weren’t saying “y’all come” to illegal immigrants. They just want to see a dialogue started. They’re tired of the controversy and negative publicity over the state’s draconian immigration law that’s being challenged (and chopped up) in federal court. They want movement toward a resolution.

We’ve said the same things for a while. State immigration laws in Alabama and elsewhere were a reaction to federal inaction. Given the bottled-up anger and frustration over that inaction, it shouldn’t have been surprising that the door was opened to people with damaging and unrealistic agendas, people who influenced the ferocity and scope of those laws.

President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group in the Senate have offered immigration reform proposals. Republicans who began courting the Hispanic vote before the sound faded away from Mitt Romney’s concession speech in November seem to accept that immigration reform has to happen. So there actually could be some movement in Washington, and we agree with council members that substantive change must start there.

We’ve consistently stressed the compact’s first point, which the courts have reinforced: Immigration is a federal issue.

<p>The Gadsden City Council's decision this week, unanimous among those in attendance, to endorse the Alabama Compact on immigration was symbolic and carried no force of law. We're sure some folks are wondering why local politicians are messing with this issue instead of tending to potholes in the streets. Others probably are wondering what possessed the council to stick its foot into this particular piranha pool.</p><p>We thought the message was quite clear: It's time to start talking about serious, reasonable and humane immigration reform in the U.S.</p><p>The Alabama Compact offers one scenario for that. It's a spinoff of a movement that started in Utah and spread to other states where illegal immigration has become an issue. Organizers are pushing it in Alabama in response to the 2011 immigration law passed by the state Legislature that was billed as the toughest measure of its kind in the U.S.</p><p>The movement's basic concepts are that immigration is a federal issue; local law enforcement should focus on crime instead of federal civil violations (illegal immigration is one); immigration policies shouldn't separate families; immigration policies should reflect the economic contributions immigrants make and stress maximizing free-market opportunities; and a recognition that immigrants are part of a free society and states ought to, in a faith-based manner, welcome people of good will.</p><p>It's worthy discussion fodder, although we'd like to see a final immigration reform plan contain a strong border enforcement component.</p><p>Gadsden is the first city in Alabama to endorse the compact. Council members said they weren't saying “y'all come” to illegal immigrants. They just want to see a dialogue started. They're tired of the controversy and negative publicity over the state's draconian immigration law that's being challenged (and chopped up) in federal court. They want movement toward a resolution.</p><p>We've said the same things for a while. State immigration laws in Alabama and elsewhere were a reaction to federal inaction. Given the bottled-up anger and frustration over that inaction, it shouldn't have been surprising that the door was opened to people with damaging and unrealistic agendas, people who influenced the ferocity and scope of those laws.</p><p>President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group in the Senate have offered immigration reform proposals. Republicans who began courting the Hispanic vote before the sound faded away from Mitt Romney's concession speech in November seem to accept that immigration reform has to happen. So there actually could be some movement in Washington, and we agree with council members that substantive change must start there.</p><p>We've consistently stressed the compact's first point, which the courts have reinforced: Immigration is a federal issue.</p>